A Downtown Bloomington eyesore is coming down, something city officials have wanted to see for some time.
The city fought for years to get the owner to do something with the aging and dilapidated Front N Center building. The former department store had been vacant for well over a decade.
Last year, the city began condemnation proceedings. Then earlier this year, the city struck a deal to acquire the property and two others nearby.
Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady said he felt nostalgic Tuesday as he watched crews start to demolish the building that stood as a downtown landmark for decades.
“As someone who was born and raised in Bloomington and knows the thriving area probably in the early ‘70s of what was the Montgomery Ward building where shopping was the main focus of downtown and buildings like that,” Brady said, while pivoting to what the property may become. “The future of what’s going on, what Bloomington will be and can become, is very important. That’s what many of us are here from the city for — to respect the past, but look forward to the future.”
The property’s short-team future is parking. The site will help account for the parking the city is losing with the Market Street garage coming down on the other end of downtown. That property will eventually house a new transfer center for Connect Transit.
The long-term future of the Front N Center property is unclear. It's considered prime downtown real estate, one block away from Grossinger Motors Arena.
Brady said the city remains open to ideas.
“This development area will bring a whole new approach and a whole new visibility for investors, and that’s wat the city and developers from our economic development area are talking about today,” Brady said.
The city has already demolished the former Elks building across the street. That too will become parking in the short term.
The nonprofit Strong Towns Blono has entertained suggestions for both properties. Ideas range from lots for food trucks, lawn seating and public restrooms to the more ambitious: a skate park, public market and a hotel and conference center.
Brady said the city hopes to have the Front N Center building down by Christmas.
The city is looking for to turn the former Commerce Bank building nearby into a housing development.
